I’ve always been drawn to this park because of its vibrancy and the intersection of industry, culture, and ecology it contains. Walk by and you can hear any number of languages being spoken, but primarily Spanish. There is joy and excitement, music, and recreation. I love that you can see the sun sparkling where the Mill river empties into the sound as ospreys fly overhead, as well as symbols of industry past and present, all without changing your gaze. There are all sorts of questions that emerge about how humans have impacted the ecosystem around them, as well as hints about how the city’s location and geography – and specifically for this park – have shaped the course of history locally and nationally.

One of these hints about our shared history exists in the form of a monument that is both beautiful and easily overlooked. It sits in an underutilized corner of the park, and commemorates the 29^th Colored Regiment, the first all-black regiment to fight in the Civil War. I’ve walked by this monument on a weekly basis, but never stopped to interact with it, nor to consider the (untold, for many in New Haven) story that it embodies. In the first two years of the Civil War, few white Northerners supported the enlistment of African American soldiers. However, opinions changed as the Union began to lose lives and troops, and a draft became unavoidable and very unpopular. In 1863, following the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln established the Bureau of Colored Troops. Over the course of the rest of that year, more than 1,200 African American men from across the state travelled to Grape Vine Point, where Criscuolo Park is now located, where they camped and trained. According to Connecticuthistory.org, one of the recruits, the son of an enslaved person, said he “longed for the opportunity and the power to play the part of Moses” for his people still in slavery. In January of 1864, Frederick Douglass addressed the troops and exalted them as “pioneers of the liberty of your race.” In March of that year, the regiment mustered and boarded a steamship, eventually heading to the siege lines in Virginia. When Richmond fell in 1865, the 29^th Regiment was among the first to enter the Confederate capital. 

Having had this window into the role of African Americans in the Civil War, I am inspired to uncover more “not told enough” stories of resistance, rebellion, resiliency, and abolition that may be tucked away around the city. Also within view of Criscuolo Park, for example, when it is docked in New Haven, is a replica of the Amistad, and the Africans who fought this rebellion were tried in New Haven. I’ve learned in this process, too, that New Haven had the opportunity to become the home to the first HBCU when, in 1831, a group of freed African Americans and White abolitionists created a proposal to establish an African-American college. The city’s mayor and many in the White community shut down the plans. This brings to the front of mind the connection between literacy/education, and liberation, and makes me wonder more about the role of Yale University in supporting or suppressing efforts toward abolition past and present. Given the location of this park within a neighborhood that has transitioned many times over with different immigrant populations, following the rise and falls of various industries, and the primary use of the park now as a place of rest and play, I know that as I continue to interact with “place,” the lens of resistance and resiliency will be useful in considering migration both forced and voluntary.

Robert Greenberg: 917-868-8180

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/ui_fined_for_english_station_mess

(cost could be a barrier for those in other schools/programs - this is not a free field trip)

Susan Keegan

• Support CT Green LEAF Schools across the state

• Offer pedagogical resources, workshops, training, and networking opportunities 

• Recognize through annual Awards the contribution of deserving educators and organizations

• Provide financial Mini-Grants to local initiatives that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in alignment with the goals of Connecticut's Environmental Literacy Plan

• Organize Conferences and other opportunities for our community to share with, learn from, and be inspired by outdoor and environmental education leaders

6th Grade Student

What did I learn about this place?

I learned about how Yale university has gotten an art gallery and the different types of artworks and designs there are. I think this place would be a place to go on your bucket list in your are interested in art and architecture.

6th Grade Student

What I have learned while doing this project was that this place has many popular and haunted places.

grade 6

the peabody museum was founded in 1866

tevaiya Campbell

I learned about the story of midnight mary

Grade 6th

I learned that there are many places in New Haven that not many of us know about and would love to explore.

Grade: 6

Something I learned about making these slides is so much about the history of the Yale Peabody Museum.

6th Grade

During this project, I learned how diverse New Haven can be from the history to different cultures. Louis' Lunch has been around for so long severing burgers

6th Grade Student

I learned how the dinosaurs lived and how the building developed over time.

Garden Leader: Kat Calhoun

– Correspondent, Ethiop

Frederick Douglass’ Paper, September 1, 1854

They also have great short trails and exhibits on CT animals (with live animals!)

I know, firsthand, that this space wants to engage more with the New Haven school community. It is a beautiful space dedicated for emerging, local artists. These artists have shows and workshops all the time throughout the year at the center.

I find it a great spot to show students how practicing artists interact with the community. Contemporary art on view at ECOCA is often space/place-based, pushing and challenging conventional ways of making through interdisciplinary practices. This space is underlooked in the school community, but offers students a fresh look of different types of artists, as their shows change every 2 months.

ECOCA has actually been around since the 1960s at its previous location on Trumble St., New Haven, CT.

Jo Marie Kasinak. Her students will present their research and share events like Horseshoe crab tagging.